Follow on Schools for Guard Officers.

August 22nd, 2012, 10:16 PM

I am a Flight student at Rucker and I have a few months left before graduation. I have been fortunate enough to get a few hooah schools while I have been here by going on PTDY during traing bubbles. I am now trying to get myself into Airborne School after graduation (TDY enroute..or whatever the Guard might call it.) I know that Big Army would have to fit the bill, my State would simply need to use a quota for me. I was wondering anyone could help me develop a plan of action before I proceed?

I am still not entirely clear on how the funding process would work. As an ROTC grad I am on Federal Orders currently. I would like to understand the issue before I take it up with my chain of command.

Comment

i wouldn't want to bust your bubble, but getting more hooah schools at this point may be very difficult for you. i work with many Active Duty Aviation officers (current and retired) and have asked them in-depth about their schoolings. All of the Aviators I know got their cool schools BEFORE flight school. There is a big hub-ub (understandably so) about pilots going to schools like Ranger, Airborne, Air Assault etc. Reason is that going to any of those schools, you risk injury and if you get injured, you are off of flight status...which basically puts you in a world of hurt as an aviator.

I wouldn't say it is impossible, but probably highly improbable at this point (especially Airborne).

Best of luck to you either way!

Comment

i wouldn't want to bust your bubble, but getting more hooah schools at this point may be very difficult for you. i work with many Active Duty Aviation officers (current and retired) and have asked them in-depth about their schoolings. All of the Aviators I know got their cool schools BEFORE flight school. There is a big hub-ub (understandably so) about pilots going to schools like Ranger, Airborne, Air Assault etc. Reason is that going to any of those schools, you risk injury and if you get injured, you are off of flight status...which basically puts you in a world of hurt as an aviator.

I wouldn't say it is impossible, but probably highly improbable at this point (especially Airborne).

Best of luck to you either way!

Not to mention there really isn't really much benefit to send an aviation officer to Airborne School or Ranger School. You could argue that since Ranger School is the US military's premier combat leadership school that there is a benefit to sending that officer but thats still a stretch for an aviator. Now Air Assault and Pathfinder I can definately see an advantage to sending aviation officers so they can learn and experience what it is like from the ground.